Naturalizing your lawn

Spring flowers don’t need to be reserved for the garden — they look great in your lawn! Nothing says spring more than swaths of spring colour in a fresh green lawn. You can strive for a relaxed, country garden look or an abstract, contemporary design – it all depends on your planting technique and the flowers you choose.

Regardless of style, choose early blooming flowers with a briefer growing habit. This will ensure that the flowers will bloom and the foliage will fade long before the grass gets tall enough to need mowing. Early blooming bulbs will also blossom before most trees begin budding, giving them full sun for their entire growing season. Smaller bulbs are also easier to plant among tree roots and rocky ground than the larger tulip or daffodils, which need a full eight inches of depth or more.

For a casual look, plant clusters of bulbs scattered throughout the lawn. Be generous—fewer, larger clusters will have more impact than many, small clusters. For a real wow factor (and if your budget permits) plant hundreds of bulbs in huge drifts or rivers across your lawn. The effect will be dramatic.

Consider colour in your planting as well. A monochromatic, structured colour scheme will have a more modern look than a riot of mixed colours. But since this effect is relatively short-lived in the season, experiment and have fun!

Check with your garden centre and read the packages to choose which flowers are best for lawn planting. Snowdrops, scillas, Puschkinia, crocuses and grape hyacinths are excellent choices. Also consider winter aconite for a glorious, golden yellow carpet.

Whichever bulbs you choose, with good care they will spread and bring a sea of colour every spring for years to come.